If you have waited to play Deus Ex: Human Revolution, you have done the right thing. Originally released for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC in 2011, with a Mac version in 2012, the game has now been updated with a Director’s Cut for those systems, with a Wii U release replacing Mac availability (at least for now). The bad news for Wii U owners is they’re paying $50 for the game to the other systems’ $30, but that’s fair, since it’s just an update on the other side. The good news is that Deus Ex: Human Revolution: Director’s Cut for Wii U takes full advantage of the Wii U GamePad, creating an exclusive version that stands above the others.

Deus Ex: Version Evolution

I should disclose that I’m a pretty big fan of the Deus Ex series. I reviewed the original Deus Ex for Mac in 2000, and then had to face with the sad reality that pretty much every game I played over the next 12 years was not Deus Ex. Over the past year, however, I’ve played the Mac version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, I’ve played Deus Ex: The Fall for iPad, and now I’m playing Deux Ex: Human Revolution: Director’s Cut for Wii U.

With all these versions available now, this is a tricky review to write. If you’ve completed the game elsewhere, is the enhanced Wii U version worth another go? If you haven’t played it, is the enhanced Wii U version worth the $20 premium? Before I answer that, let’s take a look at what you get.

Deus Ex: Problem Diminution

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is set in 2027, making this a prequel to the original game. Multinational corporations have become more powerful than major governments (so, this could accurately be set in the U.S. at any time from about 1986 forward). As Adam Jensen, security manager at one such biotech firm called Sarif Industries, you’re mortally wounded in a terrorist attack, but kept alive via the growing technology of “human enhancement,” which basically means a large number of your body parts are replaced with robot parts.

This means two things. First, since you’re a guy who knows his way around espionage and guns, you’re going to get more interesting jobs as you search for those responsible for the attack. One day you’re a security agent, the next day you’re caught up in the battle for the next step of human evolution and survival. It’s why I don’t own a gun.

Second, how you handle these jobs is going to be up to you. Pretty much equal parts combat, stealth and hacking, Deus Ex: Human Evolution allows you to play the game the way you want to. You are able to augment your body throughout the game, tailoring it for your particular style of play. Enhance your stealth abilities if you prefer to sneak around, improve your combat skills if you’re all about action, or try to keep a decent balance.

One of the problems with this is that although stealth is the more fun way to play, boss battles didn’t take this into account in the original version. Having to use brute force when you spend all your time being sneaky made those battles extremely difficult, if not impossible. The Director’s Cut has altered these battles a bit, allowing you to employ stealth skills to beat them. It doesn’t sound like a major update, but it really is, and if you hit a wall in the original version and didn’t finish it, you will now be able to.

Plus, you’ll now get The Missing Link DLC built in, so you’ve got that to look forward to if you didn’t grab it with the original release.

Deus Ex: Wii U Absolution

Wii U owners get plenty more than just new boss battles and extra content, though. Eidos Montreal makes significant used of the GamePad, providing a tablet map and touchscreen inventory, to start things off. More significantly, hacking is handled on the GamePad, making it much easier. Considering how important this is to the game (especially if you’re concentrating on stealth), GamePad integration offers a major upgrade in how much fun it is to play. It cuts back on frustration and helps to keep you inside in the story during some of the more stressful moments of the game.

I’m not completely sold on the GamePad for control, however. Having played through the Mac version, I prefer the precision of WASD + mouse controls. I would take Wii Remote control over that, but Deus Ex doesn’t support it. That makes sense considering how integral the GamePad is to the experience, but there were still times I wish I could’ve set it down and engaged in combat with the accuracy of the Wii Remote, especially since some of the GamePad control mapping is kind of wonky and difficult to get used to.

Deus Ex: Gamer Restitution

So, should you buy this version? I played the Mac version, and I had fun playing through it again on the Wii U, but I’m not sure it was $50 worth of repeat fun. Buy it if you didn’t finish the original because of the boss battles, put it on your holiday gift list if you did.

If you didn’t play the original version at all on another system, absolutely, you need to grab the Wii U version. The graphics are on par with that of the other systems’ (and better than most Wii U games I’ve played), and the story is quite deep and involving, helped out by excellent acting and an intelligent approach to many issues that are facing us today. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a fantastic experience that should be experienced at least once, and the Director’s Cut makes it worthwhile to experience twice.